Things happen and things change
by SpecH82
Summary: New Mombasa would burn. Sergeant Chiyo Murakami didn't need to listen in on the com-channel to know that. She could see it plain as day. As her navigation system on her HEV gave up, fried by an electromagnetic pulse emanating from the slip-space portal.
1. Not good

_Most of the crew - not to mention your fellow jarheads - will be leaving the ship in lifeboats. They'll ride to the surface in air conditioned comfort, sipping wine, and nibbling on appetizers. Not you, however. Oh no, you're going to leave the _Pillar of Autumn_ in a different method. Tell me boys and girls… how will you leave?"_

— Major Antonio Silva

**Prologue**

**October 21, 2552 [16:42] Human Military Calendar.**

**Inside SOEIV, above New Mombasa, Earth.**

**Sergeant Chiyo Murakami.**

New Mombasa would burn.

Sergeant Chiyo Murakami didn't need to listen in on the com-channel to know that. She could see it plain as day. As her navigation system on her HEV gave up, fried by an electromagnetic pulse emanating from the slip-space portal. The Covenant Carrier would escape and the city would burn. Chiyo Murakami would die. She knew it. God or goddesses or any existing super natural being knew it. Her human entry vehicle shrieked trough the sky, on a straight course for the portal.

Sergeant Murakami's mind stopped. Her pod smashed into the portals event horizon as it began to collapse.

Sergeant Chiyo Murakami watched her entire life pass in front of her eyes rapidly.

_She watched herself as an eight year old, playing with her parents. The swing going back and forth every time her mother pushed the swing forward. While listening to the beautiful and clear voice of her daughter as she laughed, when her mother pushed again and again and the speed picked up._

_Chiyo would remembered that day for the rest of her life. It was the same day as the Covenant attacked, the same day as first contact with another sentient species occurred. February 3, 2525. She lost both her parents that day, when a team of brutes with plasma weapons cut them down. Murakami was saved by a group of colonial militia. Harvest, the human agricultural world. Providing food and crops for the UEG and the UNSC. Now a molten slag of glass. Bombarded by plasma from low orbit. The first but not the last planet to fall._

_Eight years passed. Humanity lost engagement after engagement in space and on ground. Few battles where won. Harvest was lost._

_Chiyo now sixteen. Joined the UNSC Marine corps and where accepted for training on Mars. Few years back that would have been impossible. But the possible destruction of the human race changed a few things._

_Chiyo Murakami shipped to Jericho VII on December the 14, 2534. Covenant arrived on February 10, 2535, Murakami evacuated with Master Chief petty officer John-117 two days later on 12 of February._

_Murakami accepted for the 105th Marine Expeditionary Unit, ODST training on July 5, 2540._

_Reach 2552, Human fortress world destroyed, Sergeant Murakami evacuated to Earth after the battle of New Alexandria._

All of this passed in front of Chiyo's eyes in less than seconds. Then the slip-space rupture collapsed on itself. Sergeant Chiyo Murakami watched her world explode, everything became brilliantly white before darkness came.


	2. Didn't expect you…

"_When I die, please bury me deep! Place an MA5 down by my feet! Don't cry for me, don't shed no tear! Just pack my box with PT gear! 'Cuz one early morning 'bout zero five! The ground will rumble, there'll be lightning in the sky! Don't you worry, don't come undone! It's just my ghost on a PT run!"_

— UNSC Cadence

**Didn't expect you…**

Relaxing atop a construction building is a single person gazing at the stars above Tokyo.

While taking healthy swigs of alcohol from a bottle of sake. The wind picks up a gentle breeze. Long dark purple hair tied with a ribbon gently sway in the wind. Dark blue eyes longingly gaze at the stars above. The short purple Chinese dress flutter with the wind.

_Will I ever find my one and only Ashikabi? _The girl thought while taking a slow sip of sake. _I thought I had, at least my one and only true love. _The wind accelerated, becoming more violent as the girl became sadder at the thought of her rejection by the one she loves. _Minaka Hiroto. _Came the gentle barely audible whisper from those soft lips.

Emptying the last sake from her bottle. Tasting it on her tongue. The girl lets out a sigh before deciding to stand up and head out.

_I better see if Miya has anymore. _The girl takes a glance northwards. Where Izumo Inn is standing proud around the other more modern buildings. When suddenly a bright light illuminates the entire night sky briefly and a clapping sound can be heard, like thunder.

The girls head whips westward. Gaze locking onto a trail of fire. Heading from west to north. A low whining sound can be heard from a distance and growing as the fireball grew bigger the closer it arrived with each passing second. The trajectory taking it straight for the inn.

The purple dressed girl watched as the fireball shot by her position. Catching a glimpse of metal covered by the licking flames. The girl decided to investigate. And if she were right, Miya would be pissed. With that the girl jumped of the roof and speed of north. Following the trail of fire. A pull in her hearth. Told her it was the right thing to do.

**THxTC**

MBI or Mid Bio Informatics based out of Teito tower. A company built around technological and medical advancements. All for a mad CEO and his plan. Around the same time as the girl in purple felt a pull in her heart, so did another.

This one dressed in a tight black leather top, miniskirt, stockings and a mid-length gray coat over her shoulders. Her long light grey hair was tied in her trademark ponytail. Grey eyes narrowed and head turning slowly towards north.

The girl knew what the pull meant, she was reacting. There was, well is an Ashikabi out there that she is reacting to. Something had told her not to accept Minaka's proposal to let Natsuo wing her. It seems the feeling at that time where right. Not that she cared about feelings, not at all.

The woman, grabbed her sword and left the MBI headquarters. _Maybe you were right Yume, just maybe 08, not that I really need a primitive monkey at my side. _She thought while heading north.

**THxTC**

Few other heads around Tokyo turned north, felling a short tug in their hearts, but nothing anyone acted on.

**THxTC**

Groggily Sergeant Chiyo Murakami's world and vision turned from watery blurry to something clear. What she saw, didn't inspire confidence, buildings, she could see buildings trough the flames that licked around the pod. _Shit I'm going to crash. _That thought woke her up and drove her to action, flipping switches and pressing a few buttons. _Controls are still dead, maybe the rockets will work, need to brake my speed or I'm dead. Like a bug on a windshield. _Were her thoughts as she hit the button for the brakes. After a second nothing happened. A slight groan emanated from her throat.

_I'm not going out like this, hell no. I've killed a hunter pair with my M45E tactical Shotgun and my M7S Submachine gun on foot. Like hell I'm going to the other side like this. _Murakami hit the button once again with more force behind it. Still nothing happened.

_For fuck sake, not like this. _She smashed her hand down hard on the controls, the armor taking most of the impact, still feeling pain shot up her hand. Her anger dismissing it, still nothing happened.

Proximity warning started to sound of inside the pod, bathing it in a red light. _Shiiiiiit. _Panic gripped at the ODST. She had heard of accidents here pods malfunctioned and crashed, digging their own graves so to speak. It wasn't pretty.

Desperation and despair hung around her hearth, she just knew she would die. Judging on the part of the city she was rapidly approaching maybe even some civilians would perish to, if the buildings where any indication, that could very well happen.

Despair turned into anger, her anger fueled her, and she smashed her armored hand as hard as she could on the button for the brakes while cursing everyone and everything. Nothing happened. _I'm sorry Anna, I won't see you again my love. Not that you know it, I never told you. Didn't feel the war was any place for a relationship. Sorry. _Absent mindedly she pushed the breaks again. When she did Chiyo felt the slow rumble of activating rockets and flaps, breaking her speed and she immediately felt her body slam into the harness that where holding her in place inside the pod.

_Yeeeeeees goooooood girl. Now hold it steady. _Where her thoughts as the ground rapidly approached her pod. But as the law was, if it could go to hell, it would. Instead of landing in the park that was the current trajectory, the pod skipped on top of a building bouncing of its current course and toward an old school stylish building made of wood.

_Fuck. Fuuuuuuuuck. Noooooo. _Where her last thoughts before the pod smashed into the ground, skipping like a flat stone on water, the pod bounced and skipped on a direct course for the building.

Smashing through its wooden fence, like a Hunter through glass.

Pieces of the fence flew in every direction. While the SOEIV came back to the ground shaking its occupant until she almost lost consciousness. Before carving a long trench into the front yard of the building, and by divine providence came to a halt in front of a big tree.

Murakami's mind played tricks on her, she thought she saw a girl in the tree with yellow hair and green eyes. _A child._ Was her last thought. Before unconsciousness overtook her body and mind.


	3. Unexpected visit…

_Men...keep your eyes down range, fingers on your triggers, and we all go home in one piece._ _Am I right, Marines!?_

— Sergeant Avery Junior Johnson

**Unexpected visit…**

A slender woman with fair-skin, brown eyes and waist length purple colored hair with shorter bangs, stared at the contraption on her property from the second floor window.

It was like nothing she had seen on Earth since awakening.

_Oh? What's this? _The landlady of Izumo Inn thought, as the front of the contraption flew outwards, with enough force to cripple or kill any human standing in front of it. The pod door blew through what little was left of the fence showering even more wood around the lawn before landing with a heavy thud.

The landlady narrowed her eyes at the now visible entrance of the contraption and waited.

_If anything bad comes out of it, I'll deal with it_. She thought while her right hand without conscious thought, slowly crept its way for a sword handle that wasn't there anymore.

Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when a human shaped being stumbled out. Dressed entirely in black armor, except the visor of the helmet that was navy-blue.

The woman watched the human, she was fairly certain that assumption was correct, fall to its knees shaking its helmeted head for a few seconds before snapping its vision straight on her. The navy-blue visor pointing straight at her. _Hmm, it's like he or she could sense me up here, but that's impossible, humanity doesn't have that kind of abilities or senses, yet he or she is looking straight at me, of that I'm sure. _She thought as she stared straight back into the visor of the helmet.

The owner of Izumo Inn watched as the strangers head snapped left and up. Now facing the same direction as the device had come from. Before deciding to carve a trench in her front yard. The stranger hastily scrambled back to the device.

**THxTC**

The purple Chinese dress flutter in the wind while the owner jumped between buildings with haste, trying to reach her destination as fast as possible. The closer the girl came, the harder she felt the tug in her hearth. Three minutes went by before the woman gently landed on top of a roof, with clear view of the Inn.

_I bet Miya is furious. _The purple clad woman thought while she followed the trench with her eyes. _The entire front yard's in shambles. _The woman noticed while her gentle gaze settled on the strangely armored human down on its knees looking straight at the second floor window, from the device behind the human, smoke rose. Her heart rate accelerated when her gaze locked onto the stranger, it practically tried to beat its way out of her body. The woman felt giddy when the stranger's helmet whipped her way. _So this is how it feels to find your __Ashikabi? _She thought as she moved both her hands to her blushing cheeks and a low giggle escaped her lips.

Her lips pouted, when the stranger scrambled on all four, back to the pod and leaned inside.

_Don't worry stranger, I bet you're handsome. Kazehana will take care of you. _Her chest grew hotter and her eyes twinkled. With that on her mind she jumped of off the roof, eyes locked onto the stranger, never straying, that's why she spotted the weapons immediately when the human spun around. _Oh no, don't do it Ashikabi-kun. _With that thought her feet touched the pavement and the human aimed its weapon her way.

A burst of 5x23mm M443 Caseless Full Metal Jacket round flew.

**THxTC**

While following her instincts trough out the city, to her current position. The disciplinary squad member, had decided on a test for her possible Ashikabi. A test of mettle.

The mid-length gray coat settled down while its owner's gray eyes narrowed, when her gaze settled on the human, scrambling for some kind of device or pod.

Sword already drawn before landing, she rushed the last length of the roof and jumped. When her foot pushed her away from the edge of the roof. Three bullets chipped at the concrete of the building just below where her feet had been barely seconds before.

A grin made it onto her face. As her pony-tail and cloths flapped in the wind of her decent. Hitting the ground, somersaulting and pushing forward with speed while dodging bullets. Zigzagging forward toward her pray. _At least the human isn't running away. _She though while jumping left dodging another spray of bullets. Karasuba snorted. _They never learn, always with the bullets, spraying, hopping to score a hit, even when it's clear it's not working._

Karasuba could feel no fear from the human in front of her. The armor effectively blocked her from seeing if the human was afraid. _Hmm, maybe he is worthy anyway. Even though he's stupid. God knows she wanted the human, her heart was beating so fast she didn't know it was possible for it to beat this fast and hard. Her core felt hot and became even hotter every inch she gained on the human. _With those thoughts she reached her pray and swung her sword.

_Huh?! _Surprise where etched on Karasuba's face. Not an emotion she where particular used to or even something that happened often. Last time was when Yume gave her core to number 88.

**THxTC**

Consciousness began to force its way back to Sergeant Chiyo Murakami's mind. The world taking a blurry edge when her blue eyes, gently pried open. A loud groan emitted from her mouth. By reflex more than anything. Chiyo's right hand activated the explosive bolts on the SOEIV's door. Before continuing to the handle above her head. Tugging the handle down, blew the door outward.

Her left hand loosen the safety harness and she tumbles out of her pod and sinks down on her knees, head spinning.

Murakami shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind, it worked. The world stopped spinning. Activating her VISR painted the surrounding buildings and objects in an orange hue, perfect when operating at night or in low light conditions.

Murakami whipped her head up and right. VISR showed a human behind the second story window. Chiyo stared. The human stared right back at her. Seconds passed in silence, when another human appeared on top of the building from the direction she had come from. Chiyo's head turned left. She saw the destroyed fence and the trench she had made when she crashed.

Zooming in on the human on the roof, showing her on the HUD in an orange glow.

_Beautiful. _Came the unbidden stray thought before she noticed the arrival of a second human that landed on the same roof with its sword drawn. Her VISR painting that human in a red glow.

Sergeant Chiyo Murakami scrambled for the HEV and leant inside, stripping it out of all weapons and ammo. If her mind had been in the game, she would have puzzled over the fact that the human landed on the roof. As it was she was too concentrated on getting her weapons to think about it.

Strapping her M6C on her left thigh and her Energy sword handle on her right thigh. M45E Tactical shotgun on her back and last but not least her trusted M7 Caseless Submachine Gun in her hands. Two pair of grenades and two pairs of plasma grenades went into their respective compartments.

Sergeant Chiyo Murakami spun around and fired a burst at the sword wielding woman at the edge of the roof. _Huh- WTF, the first one is on the ground already, that's impossible. No human can move that fast even with rappelling gear._ Those thoughts vanished when the sword wielding woman jumped of the roof, landed and then rolled when she hit the ground and practically leaped at Chiyo.

_Fuck, what the hell is this._ Murakami practically screamed in her mind.She noticed the grin on her opponent's face, when she got close enough and without taking a single hit either. Sweat ran down her neck even though the ODST armor regulated the temperature.

When her opponent was just a few feet away from her, she dropped the gun and grabbed the plasma sword on her right thigh with her right hand, at the same time as the opponent began to swing her sword towards Chiyo.

She activated her sword. The Sword snapped into existence with a sizzling sound of plasma that many humans had come to hate and fear throughout the Human-Covenant war. Two partially ionized blades materialized on each side of the handle, giving the sword its distinguished oval shape.

Sergeant Chiyo Murakami's right arm arced upward to meet the sword of her opponent and it did. Cutting clean trough the other woman's sword, like a Covenant CAS-Class assault carrier against a car.

Chiyo sees the surprise register on the other woman's face when her sword is cut, part of the blade fly past Murakami head. The tip plunges into the soft ground. While the woman barrels straight into Chiyo, both crash onto the ground.

The grappling season showed Chiyo that in pure strength she was no match for the woman.

As such Chiyo deactivated the sword much to the other girl's surprise. That was until she head the distinctive sizzle of an activating sword. Pure instinct pushed her into a backwards roll. Murakami took the provided reprieve and got into her own kneeling stance.

Facing each other again, plasma sword and half broken sword at the ready.

A strong voice made its displeasure known to both combatants. "No fighting at Izumo Inn." Both combatants turned their heads slightly toward the voice. _A voice that commanded obedience._ Chiyo thought, still she where used to that kind of voice or voices. So it didn't bother her in the slightest. The new arrival picked this up and a demonic visage appeared behind her. The Hannya mask usually scared people into obedience by fear.

The end result wasn't what the new arrival expected. When two loud gun shots flew straight between the eyes of the demonic visage that had appeared, which promptly disappeared. The surprise evident on the owners face.


	4. Truth and Reconciliation…

_No thanks to your driving, yes!_

— Master Chief Petty Officer John-117

**Truth and Reconciliation…**

An all-consuming silence settled heavily around the four people standing beneath the starry sky. Skyscrapers illuminated the area in their shadows and light. A big contrast compared to the old-school building they found them self's in front of. Tension so thick and palpable you could practically smash a grunts skull against it. Chiyo knew she needed to do something, anything to disarm the violate situation they found them self in. Granted she had defended herself and the last two shots where due to her reacting more than anything.

_Shiiiiiiiiiit. What do I do now? _The single thought flew by her when a gentle caring wind encompassed her. If at all possible Sergeant Chiyo Murakami tensed even more for a fraction of a second, before slightly relaxing. Her shoulders sagging a little bit and a low sight escaped her soft pink lips, impossible for normal Humans to register. Not that Sekirei's where anything like normal Humans, when it came to standard Human perceptions and sensory inputs.

Murakami felt the wind cares her. Make her relax. Even though it was impossible since she was inside her armor. Well to human perception of the world, it was impossible, for the Sekirei of wind not so much. The tree swayed gently in the wind, the leaves rustled. It was almost surreal how fast the tension in her own body left her. Her gun lowered a fraction. Not directly pointing at anyone.

Chiyo could feel her breathing stabilize from its combat endorsed, adrenaline filed state to Murakami's normal parameters. She could feel the gentle wind that embraced her, disappear like it never happened. The calm she felt was the same she had felt when she where with Anna, her girl to be. Dead, killed by a brute on Reach. Sergeant Murakami's teeth clenched, lips in a tight line. Shaking her head hard to forget the memories for the moment. She knew she would never forget and she honestly didn't want too completely forget her. She knew time would numb the feelings maybe she would even find another one. Though first she needed to find the nearest UNSC command or unit or outpost, depending on where her unexpected slip-space transit brought her.

She focused her thoughts on that and looked up at the three women standing a few feet away from her.

The first one was a slender yet shapely woman with fair-skin and brown eyes. Purple colored hair at waist-length with shorter bangs and a white ribbon to hold her hair in place. Chiyo's eyes widened at the outfit.

_It's taken right out of one of the 21 century Asian movies me and Anna watched while deployed on Reach, before the alien menace that plagued humanity arrived._ The thought made itself know while she took in the rest of the other woman's appearance. A purple colored undivided skirt with a white mid-length coat and a sash-like belt covered her body, to complete the outfit she had wooden sandals. It was surreal in a way that could only be compared to meeting a friendly jackal, with stomach problems. Not likely. Chiyo knew she was staring longer than what was appropriate, still she couldn't help it. I mean it looks great on her.

Murakami turned her head left to take a look at the other woman standing close to the first one. To close for strangers. _They know each other. Friend's maybe? Something more? Maybe._ She mussed while looking eyes with the stranger.

Chiyo Murakami lost her breath, stunned beyond words. _Gorgeous, beautiful, hot, gentle._ Her mind spat at her with the rate of a LMG. A very short-purple Chinese dress covered her body which showed her belly button and ample cleavage. _Gorgeous body, Beautiful face. Hot slender legs and those gentle eyes, like pools radiating and embracing her in their care. _Sergeant Chiyo Murakami shivered while her heart-rate spiked and her center warmed. She knew this feeling, it was the same she got when she first laid eyes upon Anna.

With a leap of faith and a feeling of security she hadn't felt in a long time she holstered her gun on her left thigh with a clang of metal against metal. A collective release of breath could be felt at that action, except from the third woman, a flash of disappointment passed her face, before a neutral expression emerged again. Which made Chiyo turn her head toward the last woman there, the one that attacked her. The one standing a few feet away from the other two. She watched the woman sheet her broken sword before inspecting her closer.

A tight black leather top, a miniskirt and stockings covered her body, over her shoulders she had a grey mid-length coat with a symbol printed on the coat. A black bird with a small ying-yang symbol below the bird.

Murakami took one last glance at the three women, before addressing them. A clear voice came out of the helmet. "Where is the nearest UNSC command or outpost?" The voice demanded an answer. Chiyo noticed their expressions morph from curios too confused. Chiyo Murakami scowled. _What wrong with them? _She had time to think, before the one with the retro outfit answered her. "What is the UNSC?" A gentle caring voice with a hint of steel behind it inquired.

Chiyo had to mentally shake herself from the stupor and shock. It came delivered as easily as a letter in the mail by a postman.

"Wha-wha-what do you mean?" Chiyo stuttered, not quite believing what she heard.

The woman frowned before she answered. "I asked what the UNSC is. Since I've never heard of or about it." A bit more steel came into the voice this time.

Chiyo just starred at the women, all of them. Watching them agree with slight nods. Her mind couldn't comprehend it. She froze, her body went rigid in one beat of her heart. Seconds stretched out, felt like hours. Silence ruled supreme, at least for a few more seconds before her mind processed everything.

"Excuse me, but where am I?" She asked voice soft barely hearable. Her head down, eyes staring holes into the poor ground at her feet. The three women glanced at each other. Deciding to humor her and see where this went they answered, well the same woman answered. "Tokyo, capitol of Japan." She answered matter of factually. Chiyo Murakami slowly lifted her head and to their surprise depolarized her visor. Surprised eyes stared at her.

Dim blue eyes stared back at Miya. Then roamed over the others briefly stopping on Kazehana, before locking back onto and into Miya's eyes. She sighted nodded to herself, then lifted her hands up to her helmet and removed it with a slight hiss, air releasing. With one smooth move, she took off her helmet and hung it on her waist. Blond hair tied in a pony-tail made itself known. Smooth polished white skin of her face, perky pink lips and blue eyes completed the look.

Her eyebrows furrowed. A scowl made it onto her beautiful face. Her perky lips let out a sight then her entire stance relaxed. _Tokyo, Japan, Earth. Good that's good. At least I didn't end up on one of the Covenants home worlds._ She thought slightly smiling at that. So lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice the slight shift from the purple clad girl and the light pink tint that showed on both her cheeks, when she smiled.

Chiyo felt like she could relax around these three, weird since the gray clad woman attacked her. Still she wasn't going to question it, many a times had her senses saved her. She wasn't about to go against them now, when they told her she could trust these people. Nodding like she had come to a decision, which was true.

She looked each of them in their eyes, her heart-racing a little bit more than normal as she did so. "Just answer one more question, then I'll answer some of your, fair?" she looked at them expectantly. All three nodded. "Have you ever heard of the Covenant?" She stilled her body, soul and voice when she asked them this.

"No!" All three women answered at the same time. Chiyo Murakami felt lost.

She stared at them before she fell down on her butt. Thoughts surged at a speed of two hundred thousand kilometers per hour. Felt like a lifetime went by, while she sat in the grass on the half-ruined yard, staring out into nothing. The left leg was bent while the right foot rested under the bend her left leg created. The three women looked at her worriedly. But she was so busy with her own thoughts that she did not notice it.

And just as fast as when she had begun to brood, she looked up at them with a smile. "I promised to answer some of your questions, did I not?" When she saw them nod. She showed them with her right hand, that it was alright to ask what ever questions they may have had at the moment. She knew what they would ask first though and she was right. The purple head with the retro outfit was the one to ask the first question and the one that was on all their minds. "What is the UNSC?" Chiyo could hear the curiosity in her voice, even if she tried to mask it, it was there.

Sergeant Chiyo Murakami sighted, collected her thoughts, took a deep breath, locked eyes with the woman and gave her answer with a steady voice.

"UNSC or United Nations Space Command as it stands for. Is the military, exploratory, and scientific arm of the Unified Earth Government or UEG, which acted as the emergency governing body of the human race at large for a time" Taking a deep breath she continued.

"The UNSC was formed in the 22nd century, a time when remnants of old cultural ideologies clashed for supremacy in the Sol System. The UNSC served mainly as overseer of United Nations military operations in space. After initiating massive militarization propaganda throughout its off-world colonies, through the UNSC, the UN defeated communist and fascist forces in a conflict generally known as the Interplanetary War, which consisted of several side-battles that took place on Mars, the Jovian Moons and the South American rainforests. Although the Interplanetary War brought a great deal of suffering to both the colonial population and the residents of Earth, it also united most of humanity's military forces by the end of the 22nd century" Chiyo rattled this out with the speed of drill-sergeant lecturing rookies back at basic.

"By the final decade of the 25th century, a chain of Outer Colonies was providing the UEG with valuable raw materials; the political power, however, remained with the aforementioned Inner Colonies. These differences in wealth distribution and political power, led to new threats of secession from the outer territories. Over time, ideological and political causes resulted in many of the Outer Colonies engaging in open rebellion. A series of brushfire wars across human space sprang up, with hundreds more threatening to erupt as well. By 2511, UNSC estimated, largely based upon the projections of Dr. Elias Carver, put a massive, overwhelming and uncontrollable rebellion at less than twenty years away.

Military conflicts began disrupting UNSC authority in the Outer Colonies where several uprisings among working-class agriculturalists and other social classes grew unhappy with the UNSC's largely inconsiderate governance" Murakami's voice was frosty now, when she began on the next part her voice turned from frosty to icy, the kind of ice that could douse fire.

"This unrest gave rise to the Insurrectionist, a loose collection of violent colonial separatists with the shared goal of liberating the Outer Colonies from the Unified Earth Government's influence. Terrorist all of them" She spat with venom.

"Then in 2525 they came" Her voice sobered, face impassive except for the thigh line of her lips and the small trembles that shock her body. The Sekirei noticed this, no ordinary human would besides Spartans.


	5. Headache, heartache, surprise

"_At first it was going well. Then setback after setback, and loss after loss, made what was going to be a quick and decisive win - into five years of hell."_

— Captain James Gregory Cutter

**Headache, heartache, surprise...**

Sergeant Chiyo Murakami steadied her breathing. She could feel the small trembles that shook her body subside. She glanced around, out of habit before settling her gaze one the three beautiful women again.

"You know people, I'd like to know who I'm telling my story to." A small smile graced her lips.

"Miya Asama, I'm the owner and landlady of this boarding house." The Purple haired woman with short bangs answered with a surprisingly gentle voice.

"Kazehana." A relaxed, gentle and soothing voice came from the woman with the purple Chinese dress.

"Karasuba." A voice filled with excitement, steel and something else Chiyo couldn't pinpoint, came from the woman with grey hair.

"I'm Sergeant Chiyo Murakami of the United Nations Space Command, 105TH Marine Expeditionary Unit. Orbital Drop Shock Troopers or ODST's if you want." She gave them a smile. "It's nice to meet you." The smile had a bigger effect than she thought on two of the women. Chiyo saw the pink tint show itself on both Kazehana and Karasuba. She also noticed the Miya's eyes narrow as she noticed it to. She wondered why.

**THxTC**

"Let's head inside shall we?" Miya voiced her thoughts, before continuing to explain why. "Out here anyone could stumble upon us or overhear us talk, better to talk inside." She suggested. Chiyo agreed and so did Kazehana and made their way over to the entrance while Miya turned her head and saw Karasuba turn around to leave.

**THxTC**

Karasuba was silent. Since she and Miya didn't see eye to eye and Miya had made it quite clear what would happen if she entered the Inn. She turned to leave when Chiyo's questioning voice stopped her. "Where are you going Karasuba?" Karasuba turned her head back to look at the group and in particular at Chiyo. "Well me-me-me and Mi-Mi." She left it at that and turned her head down, looking at her feet. Her heart beating like crazy.

_Why did I stutter?_ Something stopped me from telling the truth, why? Her mind spun around and around on these thoughts. The answer popped up from nowhere. _I don't want her to know-why?_ If Karasuba would have glanced at the other women at the time, she would have seen Kazehana's eyes widen in surprise while Miya's narrowed in thought at the woman's stutter.

_Am I embarrassed of what this girl will think of me? Do I care? I never did after 08 Yume disappeared. Why now? Why do I feel so hot? Why does my heart beat against my chest like crazy? I know what means of course. Somehow I want this girl to like me, not hate me. I want to feel her against me._ These thoughts repeated them self in her mind. The conflict showed itself by her expressive facial expressions and body language.

**THxTC**

Miya watched Karasuba, reading her like an open book. Which most of the time was almost impossible to do, Miya glanced at Kazehana, seeing the shook on her friends face. Wasn't really that surprising.

The surprise came when she glance to her left and saw Chiyo's face express concern for the other woman. The woman that moments ago tried to attack her. Miya's mind worked fast._ Maybe this girl can bring Karasuba back to how she was before Yume disappeared._ With that she uttered the words she never thought she would, in a million years. "You ca-are welcome to come too Karasuba."

She noticed Kazehana cast a questioning glance her way. Miya ignored it. Watching the surprise show on Karasuba face. She heard Karasuba ask "Why?" Miya sighed. Then she threw a quick glance at Chiyo before she again fixed her eyes on Karasuba. "Because our unexpected visitor seems to want you to come with us."

A faint "Thank you." Could be heard from the woman in question. This time Miya and Kazehana both stared in shock at the woman, eyes big a saucers. Miya had expected a lot from her. Just not that.

After a few seconds she nodded and gesticulate with her hand for them to follow her inside. She was guiding them to the kitchen area. Miya heard Chiyo ask her with curiosity in her voice. "Miya do you live by yourself here or do you have tenants?" Miya cast a quick look at her, before pondering on how to answer.

_I can't tell Karasuba that Matsu lives here._ "I have one male tenant, but he isn't here right now. Kagari works at night." Miya was directing them to sit around the table when she noticed Murakami stand in the open doorway into the kitchen. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she threw a questioning glance at Chiyo and got a prompt response.

"Are you sure you were all by yourself in this house before we arrived?" Miya stared at Chiyo and thought about what she wanted to say with that. "I was all by myself before you crashed and these other two." Miya waved her hand towards Kazehana and Karasuba and continued. "Arrived, why do you ask?" She demanded with a hint of steel back in her voice.

Miya didn't like to be questioned about something she already answered. Not that the other woman noticed or cared Miya concluded, when she saw Chiyo nod and bring her helmet back on again. She raised her eyebrows.

**THxTC**

Chiyo nodded and with one swift motion, she loose her helmet and pulled it on. While she saw a green icon blink when the helmet and armor connected and pressurized before the green icon showed a steady green icon to indicate that everything was alright with the equipment. Chiyo activated the VISR function before she looked around the room. The classic house where decorated with tatami floor and classic paper doors_._ Chiyo's VISR function showed five active cameras and five active microphones in the room. Well concealed from normal eyes.

"I'm sorry I have to do this Miya." She said with conviction in her voice and in a well-practiced move backed by a lifetime of experience. Chiyo had her shotgun in her hand cocked and ready to fire in a blink of an eye. Miya tensed. Kazehana and Karasuba shot up from sitting on the floor at the table on pillows, both tensed and ready to spring her in seconds.

M45E Tactical shotgun pointed not at the women but the ceiling itself. She didn't know what to think about the situation she was in. Three women were ready to attack her, even though she had her shotgun ready. Her shotgun were pointed at the ceiling-tiles. She couldn't help it anymore, all the tension she had left her just like that and a growing rumble could be heard from her stomach while a clear and beautiful laughter filled the room. It continued for almost thirty seconds before she cleared her throat. "You have rats." mirth clearly evident in her voice. Chiyo watched Miya's face change from concern to real anger. Hastily she explained. By simply pressing the trigger. Not her best plan.

All hell broke loose. The shotgun kicked against her shoulder. 8 gauge shell released its load. The swarm flew straight where she aimed. Smashing through the ceiling-tiles as easily as killing infantry with a nuke.

In a flash she where lifted off the floor. Flower petals flying around her. At the same time she saw a flash or it looked like a flash and next she saw one half broken sword and ladle against her throat. Anger and betrayal shown on both Karasuba and Miya's face. She glanced at Kazehana and saw her disappointed look she threw her way.

She heard a yelp and a hard thud when something hit the floor. Her mind registered it. But she had other things and thoughts flying through her head. Like what the hell are they? Spartans? No not even they can accelerate that fast on such a short stretch.

Her eyes where wide already and went even wider, breathing labored, adrenaline pumping through her system. The fact that one of them where lifting her of the ground with air and petals should tell me something. Not humans.

Was the only conclusion her war-ridden mind could draw. Quite simply because human's couldn't control air like Kazehana did. Or they would have used it against the Covenant a long time ago. _Shit, they look human and act human, but they aren't human. So where did I end up after entering the slip-space portal?_ Chiyo was afraid now.

She didn't know why she had acted so stupid. The signs where already there and now she would die because of her own stupidity. Something had drawn her to act like she did. She could feel the sword press against her throat harder. She closed her eyes. This was it, she would die. She would have laughed if the tension weren't so high inside the room. That you could carve at it with a spoon.

That was when the coughing began. All heads in the room turned toward the sound. Where they discovered a red-haired woman with glasses lying in the fetal position. Faint moans could be heard between coughing attacks.


	6. Explanations, unexpected event's…

"_They told me to fight, and that's what I've done. Let historians sort through the wreckage, bodies, and broken lives to figure out the rest."_

— Admiral Preston Cole

**Explanations, unexpected event's…**

Silence, the room was silent except the coughing that was subsiding. Chiyo watched the redhead get up on her knees. Murakami watched Kazehana extend her hand to the redhead who accepted it and with Kazehana's help got pulled to her feet. While this happened Sergeant Chiyo Murakami still waited for her life to end. Not like she had a choice. Hanging around and all that.

Chiyo noticed the long haired redhead with side-plaits and glasses. Wearing detached sleeves and a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress. _What a body, exquisite_. Chiyo felt herself get excited and hotter. She was surrounded by beautiful women. Aliens sure. Still hot is hot. No denying that.

_So here I am, suspended in air by one hot, beautiful and bountiful alien woman. I have a sexy, hot woman on my right-side with a sword at my throat. On my left-side there is another beautiful mature woman with a probably as nice body underneath the retro-cloths and to top it all of a forth bomb-shell dropped down from the roof. Yeah if I'm going to die now, it could have been worse. A lot worse, it could have been brutes or jackals surrounding her._ She felt something snap. Then she was laughing so hard she would have doubled over if she could.

Her laughter brought all four pairs of eyes back to her.

She felt horny, hot, and her heart was beating more now than it ever had done before, and none of it had to do with the fact that in a few seconds she could lie lifeless on the floor. With blood spilling out of her throat.

It didn't disturb her at all. It was what it was. Her body had always been honest. Ever since she was a teenager she had felt attracted to women. These four women were not just anyone's either. Chiyo was glad that her breathing and face were protected by the helmet. She was most likely bright red. Well she couldn't help it and who could blame her? While these thoughts rampaged through her mind and body. She could hear a new voice tell Kazehana to gently lower her.

Sergeant Chiyo Murakami thought of running when she felt her feet touch the floor again and the broken sword and the ladle was slowly inching away from her. Something told her not to try anything. Her feet felt like lead. She could hear light footsteps approaching. She turned her head towards the person in question and came face-to-face shield with the red-haired woman. The tension that was in the room seconds before was gone and something else could be felt instead.

The red-haired woman was staring straight into her visor. Chiyo's own blue eyes stared back, behind the visor. Her heart was pounding. Faster and faster the more she looked the woman in the eyes. She noted that the other woman's both hands came up to her mounts on the helmet. She heard and felt the pressure drop before the woman began lifting the helmet of her. Before she had time to do that Chiyo expression changed from pure lust to a gentle sensual expression. Her lips were a little parted and showed a small part of her white teeth. Gentle soft eyes would make eye contact with the redhead.

The helmet came off and their eyes met. Gentle blue eyes meet passionate red eyes.

**THxTC**

Miya, Karasuba and Kazehana knew Matsu was reacting and reacting hard. They could feel the passion surround her. See it in her body, her eyes, parted lips. Everything screamed you are mine now at Chiyo from Matsu.

Miya couldn't stop it and she wouldn't. But if she tried to take it further than winging right now. She would remind Matsu of her ladle.

**THxTC**

Kazehana could feel her heart-beat increase exponentially, the closer Matsu got to Chiyo. She wanted it too. She would get it. Her core grew hotter by every single beat of her heart. She hadn't felt this way when she tried to get _Minaka Hiroto's attention. This was something else, something different. It made her hot and giddy at the same time. Her hand came up and rested on either cheek. They were warm._

_**THxTC**_

Karasuba's body projected a cold demeanor. Her eyes on the other hand where not. Her eyes betrayed of an inner fire that was battling the cold inside her and it was wining.

Karasuba's mind on the other hand played over one hundred and fifty ways she could kill the MBI fugitive if she even dared to hurt her Ashikabi. Her mind already knew what her heart was battling with her about.

_My Ashikabi? When did she become my Ashikabi? The second I attacked her and she didn't try to run, that's when._ She slid her sword back into its sheet while she thought.

_Yes I'm going to make her mine. Just this once I'm going to follow Yume's advice and see what will happen._ While this played in her mind. Her body relaxed for the first time since she was revived all those years ago. Her eyes had a gentle tint in them. The kind you could expect from Kazehana, not Karasuba. Her face relaxed a small, small smile made itself known on her lips. If Karasuba would have glanced at Miya. She would have seen the woman about to faint from the absurdity of her showing a smile, a genuine smile. Not the one she showed or threw around when she had an exciting battle or when she killed someone. No, a good too honest smile.

**THxTC**

Matsu's heart was on fire. Or so she felt. She was Sekirei 02 and she couldn't stop these feelings and she didn't want to. It was weird that this woman could attract three of the most powerful Sekirei even without winging anyone before she meet them.

Her logical mind told her that 03 and 04 where here for the same thing. She didn't understand and she where afraid when 04 had shown herself. She was hunted by MBI after all. But the small gentle smile she had seen on 04, said it all. Now though she couldn't care less. She just wanted those soft looking red lips against hers. Those blue eyes to roam all over her and those hands to feel everything. Right now. She felt a bond to this human woman that she hadn't meet for more than five minutes.

She placed the helmet on the kitchen counter then softly grabbed the weapon in her hands. She pried it from her armored hands while still having eye contact with those blue eyes. Matsu put the weapon down close to the helmet on the counter.

Softly placing both hand on each cheek on the other woman. Matsu almost pushed the other woman down then and there. The skin, so soft. Her mouth watered. She slid her eyes closed and with passion pressed their lips together.

**THxTC**

Chiyo Murakami's brain froze, her eyes closed and her body responded. Pressing their lips even harder together. She felt like she never felt before, not even with Anna. A connection she couldn't describe and holy smokes where the redheads lips soft. Her center was hotter than ever before. Her body burning. She could feel emotions from the other woman trough some kind of bond they now shared. _Love, passion and lust._ Where the main ones she could feel and did she feel it. She was wet oh so wet. Could feel it, gush out into her underwear. She knew what she wanted, but not here. Not in front of the others. Still she deepened the kiss their tongues battling each other for dominance and entrance.

That's when Chiyo opened her eyes and freaked out with a loud squeal that left her mouth as she pushed the girl away. Eyes as big as saucers. Wings. White wings was sprouting from behind the girl. "What th-th-the. Did I die? Angel? What are you?" She mumbled in semi-panicked state. She started to flee when she felt distress and hurt through the bond they now shared. She stopped at the door and looked back at the woman over her shoulder. The redhead answered with quiet voice. "I'm a Sekirei. To be specific I'm Sekirei 02 Matsu." The quiet hushed voice answered back. Eyes drilling holes through the floor at her feet.

Chiyo's mind spun around in overdrive. She could feel the others look at her with eyes she couldn't place. They didn't say anything. Just standing frozen, watching. Chiyo roamed over Matsu's body in a non-perverted way. She was trying to read the woman's body language. It told her she needed to treat this seriously now. The bond between them and her body told her bolting away in fright wasn't the smartest idea to do. Not if she didn't want to break the other woman and she didn't.

Murakami took a few deep breaths to relax. While she inched closer to the redhead and asked straight to the point. "So not human and not an angel? An Alien then?" Chiyo locked eyes with the red eyed girl when her head turned upward to meet her eyes. "Hmm, yes an Alien." Was the soft replay from those soft lips of hers.

The response that came from Chiyo wasn't the one anyone expected it to be.

**THxTC**

Matsu felt like a kicked puppy that their master was about to throw out because it was unwanted.

When the laughter began and continued to increase in volume. She thought it was over for her. She would be by herself, tied up with someone who did not want her. Until she lost her Ashikabi or her Ashikabi lost. When she noticed that her Ashikabi laughed so hard that she choked between laughs. She began to wonder if the person in question was a bit unstable, mentally. She couldn't see what was so funny about their predicament. Still this is better than her running out screaming aliens at the top of her lungs. Matsu watched the woman fall onto the floor lying on her side laughing. She turned to look at the rest of the Sekirei in the room. Shook was the overly displayed emotion on every.

Matsu turned back to her Ashikabi. She stood there watching the girl she had a bond with laugh for almost three full minutes before it subsided and the girl in question quieted and got up and made eye contact with her. Matsu could feel the intensity of the blue eyes as they stared into her own.

**THxTC**

Chiyo tried to see into the girl's soul and at the same time feel whatever she could over the bond they shared. What she got was apprehension, hurt, confusion and love. She inhaled and exhaled. Her features softened to a smile. She gazed softly at Matsu. "I'm Chiyo Murakami and I'm sorry Matsu." She watched the girls smile vanish. She heard a low. "Oh, sorry to bother you." And the girl started to turn around. Chiyo grabbed Matsu's hand faster than a snake could bite it's pray and pulled her into a thigh embrace and kissed her with a vengeance, pouring every last ounce of passion into the kiss. She marveled at the wings that grew into existence behind the Sekirei. Beautiful white wings that belonged to a hot girl. She drew back from the kiss and got a low moan from the other woman. She kissed Matsu on the left cheek with a gentle touch.

Chiyo moved her lips to Matsu's left ear and whispered in as low a voice as she could. "You are a beautiful woman. Definitely the best kind of non-human one could hope to meet and I have meet a few." She paused and nibbled a bit on her earlobe. Then gently licked where she had nibbled and continued to whisper in her ear with a sexy voice. "Now tell me Matsu- what must I do too get you out of these clothes, into my arms and let me experiment with you and see if my- human touch will have you screaming my name on top of your orgasmic screams." Chiyo slowly pulled her lips away from her ear, but not before blowing gently on it. She was rewarded with a shudder from the Alien girl.

Chiyo grind for all she was worth when she drew away from Matsu and took a steep back. She could see the other girl was red as a tomato and her legs where shaking. Her grin widened. _It was a gamble to show the me, that I've only shown to one girl before._ It was worth it seeing as how taken Matsu became, she thought. Beside she had only told the truth to her.

**THxTC**

Miya couldn't believe it. The pervert was down on her knees panting and beat red. She watched her sit down on the cushion that was on the floor in front of the dinner table where she had been standing mere seconds before.

Miya gazed between Chiyo and Matsu. Then proceeded to make tea for them all while gesturing for them to have a seat. It would be a long night she felt.

**THxTC**

Kazehana squealed when Chiyo had grabbed Matsu's hand and pulled her back into a thigh embrace before kissing her with passion so hot Kazehana had felt sweat start to run down both her thighs. She was quite sure that there were more than sweat mixed in. No doubt about it. She rubbed her thighs together when she saw Chiyo remove the cushion and then proceed to sit down on Matsu's right side, close to the end of the table. Then turn and give Matsu a peek on the cheek.

Kazehana practically floated to Chiyo's right side and sat down with a soft thump. All the while looking at the newly winged Sekirei and her Ashikabi with a beating heart and excitement. She couldn't stop herself from releasing a low giggle with a smile grazing her lips.

**THxTC**

Karasuba had at first thought the Chiyo would continue to run from them after she had seen the wings. But she had stopped and turned back to Matsu and now the Sekirei was smiling like a puppy in love and that irritated Karasuba more than anything. She wanted to be the one smiling like an idiot after watching everything happen with the winging. _Really are you sure? _She could her Yume's voice mock her in her head. _Yes. _Karasuba growled in her mind gritting her teeth. _Good._ Came the simple answer with 08 Yume's voice inside her head.

She sat down, straight on the other side of the table from her soon to be Ashikabi.

**THxTC**

Miya cast a few glances at the people sitting at the table while she was preparing tea and bread with toppings. Now two of them she never thought she'd see at her table. Karasuba and Chiyo. For different reasons. But as fate or whatever you believe in, decided to throw her a curve ball in her face.

The fact that three single number Sekirei's reacted to Chiyo so fast was another puzzle. Now one was winged and the other two would soon follow. She could see it clear as day. She had never liked Karasuba. But right now she was acting so emotionally that Miya wasn't sure what she should think. But she hoped it would continue like this for her. Even if it was strongly out of character for the woman in question. On the other hand Miya knew what bonds and love could do more than anyone. So she would watch and observe and learn and right now the biggest mystery was Chiyo.

She looked towards Chiyo in the corner of her eye and saw her talking to all three women. Like they had been friends forever. She couldn't believe it. She put down her knife and walked over and placed the tea and bread on the table. She then turned around and opened the cupboard and took out the tea cups and placed a cup in front of each person around the table and a mug for herself. Then she served a cup of tea to each of them before she sat down at her place at the head of the table. She gestured at the bread and told them to dig in. They did.

**THxTC**

Sergeant Chiyo Murakami hadn't eaten bread this good since before her parents were killed. It tasted the same as the bread her mother used to bake. At least her mind told her it was so. It was after all a long, long time ago. She savored the bread as long as she could.

She sipped the last of the tea in her cup. Then she sighted, she knew the questioning would begin again. She understood why and she had a few of her own. She was sure it was around midnight. No one was going to get any sleep in a few hours at least.

She sought eye contact with Miya and got it almost instantly. They had a relaxed atmosphere. At least she felt relaxed. "So Miya. How about I ask two questions and then each one of you get to ask one question each. I think that's fair, what do you think?" She asked with her now relaxed voice.

She watched Miya nod "sounds fair." She voiced in a neutral tone.

Chiyo pondered what she should ask first. Tapping her bottom lip with her right hands index finger in thought. "What is a Sekirei?" She asked with curiosity. She glanced at each of the women, waiting for someone to answer. The answer came from her left. Matsu's voice sent shivers down her spine. The good kind.

**THxTC**

Matsu knew she was the one to answer this inquiry, so she did.

"We the Sekirei are extraterrestrial beings with genetic code similar to humans, though a lot stronger, faster and we have other abilities to. Once in the past 8 Sekirei spaceships reached earth of which at least one suffered severe damage." She paused, exhaled and inhaled then continued.

"Our ship which carried me, Kazehana and Karasuba crashed in the sea near Japan where we were found thousand years later. On an island called Kamikura that emerged suddenly from the sea. We were discovered in the year 1999 by two students." She gazed at Chiyo watching her eyes grow bigger and bigger the longer she told their story. When she was finished. Chiyo fired her next question with a slight stutter. "Wh- what year is it now?" Matsu saw fear in her eyes and she could feel fear trough their bond. She didn't like it. "Currently it's the year 2020." She watched Chiyo freeze.

**THxTC**

"That can't be." she squealed out in desperation. "I me- mean we were stuck on Earth and still used Space shuttles for Space flights around 2020." Chiyo felt herself grow cold, colder than she ever felt before in her entire life. She was stuck here. As stuck as one could be on a planet. Alone. No one she knew would be here. They maybe human, but they weren't the UNSC. She was the outsider. Not them. She shrunk further inside her own shell. Confusion desperation and fear flowed from her to Matsu trough their shared link.

She could hear Matsu yell "No." grab her and pull her into a hug. Matsu's head rested on her left armored shoulder.

**THxTC**

Matsu could feel the shell break at the physical contact. She could feel Chiyo's body shake with each sob. Her right shoulder was wet from all the crying the girl did. The mod in the room was heavy. The crying continued for some time. Matsu's body and heart-ached. Her body because the armor plates where hard. Hear heart because the one she cared about more than anyone had broken down.

After what felt like an eternity to Matsu. The crying and sobbing stopped. In fact only ten minutes had passed. She could feel soft lips brush her ear and Chiyo whispered in her ear. "Thank you Matsu. Though in all honestly I need to get out of this armor." She felt Chiyo inhale. "Can you help me out of it?" Matsu could feel her heart throb for many different reasons. She simply answered. "Yes." She could feel Chiyo nod against her. "If you could remove the back plate. I'll fix the rest. There is a few mounts to open and that should be it. Quite easy to remove if you get shot. Which probably was the designers plan. A little harder to remove alone, but still doable." Matsu heard Chiyo explain and then slightly snort at the end. Such and endearing sound.

While Chiyo removed the front armor with expert precision Matsu made fast progress with the back side. Every piece was detachable and after a time Chiyo stood there in her body suit only. Matsu couldn't stop her eyes from roaming all over her Ashikabi. She liked what she saw. Her perverted side wanted to peel that suit right of off her. Right now.

**THxTC**

Chiyo could feel Matsu's eyes roam all over her backside. She didn't mind a bit. It excited her to know the girl wanted her. Chiyo threw a sultry look over her shoulder at Matsu.

Before taking a seat at the table again remembering they weren't alone here. This time on the cushion that she had removed because of her armor plates.

Chiyo cast a look at the other three women. "I guess it's your turn now." She nodded to Miya who looked back at her. Very much wanting to know what happened a few minutes ago.

"Could you continue from where you stopped when we were outside? The year 2525 they came?" Miya asked with curiosity clearly evident her tone, Sergeant Chiyo Murakami sighted. She couldn't blame them and she did agree to answer one question from each of them so she did. "This needs a little bit of additional explanation." She answered curtly. "When we meet them in 2525 Humanity had eight hundred worlds under its spear of influence." Chiyo smiled and glanced at Matsu. "Ninety-four of these worlds where colonized." Chiyo noticed something else in Matsu's eyes, comprehension of what had happened when Chiyo broke down earlier.

Chiyo smiled at her and gently grabbed Matsu's right hand with her left and gave it a gentle squeeze. She kept holding it throughout her story. Chiyo didn't know why. But she felt she could trust Matsu. Like she had known her, her entire life. Maybe it was the link between them or something else. She didn't know and didn't question. She just accepted it for what it was at the time. Comforting.

"When we meet them on February 3, 2525. I was eight years old at the time and it was the last time I where to see both my parents. Humanity changed with the arrival of the Covenant at one of our agricultural worlds, Harvest." She looked at each of the four women. "Incidentally Harvest is where I was born." She stared at the table. She felt Matsu squeeze her hand gently. She responded by doing the same. She heard the others gasp. She inhaled sharply and continued in a more subdued tone.

"Now Harvest was a small UNSC colony with about three hundred thousand citizens. Out of Three hundred thousand citizens. Approximately two hundred and fifty thousand managed to escape. Th-The rest were killed by apes." Chiyo noticed Karasuba look away when she called the brute's apes.

"On October 7, 2525. The CMA (Colonia Military Administration) assembled Battle group 4 to investigate, due to the fact that the Harvest situation was deemed to have become serious. The battle group consisted of the destroyer CMA _Heracles_, commanded by Captain Veredi, as well as the frigates CMA _Arabia_ and CMA _Vostok_." Tears where freely falling down from Chiyo's eyes.

"They entered the Harvest system only to find the planet's surface almost entirely melted down to glass." Chiyo felt a sob escape her. She turned her head up and looked at the others. Her tear filled eyes meet the others. Every single one of them felt horror at the thought and it showed in their eyes.

"While there, the battle group encountered an unnamed Covenant Battleship. This vessel immediately fired on our inferior ships, and the _Vostok_ and _Arabia_ were lost with all hands. The _Heracles_ managed to jump out of the system, but took several weeks to return to Reach due to damage sustained in the battle. Upon hearing Veredi's report and realizing the scale of the threat, the UNSC was placed on full alert and a fleet was assembled to meet the threat." Chiyo's right hand had grabbed a hold of the table edge and her knuckles where white, she was clenching it that hard.

"The Covenant is a theocratic hegemony made up of multiple alien species that maintained control over a large portion of the Orion Arm in the Milky Way galaxy. The Covenant is a political, military, and religious affiliation. Six species are included in this Covenant that we know of." She smashed her right hand hard into the table. Making the other four women jump. She clenched and growled out the next part. "The destruction of Humanity is the will of their gods." That is was they meet us with and that is what they are doing to Humanity at the moment.

Chiyo feel flat on her back. Feeling the floor beneath her. She stared at the ceiling. Hard at thought. She didn't notice the others look at each other. Her low voice continued still lying on the floor. "In fact by all accounts I should be dead now." She cast a quick look at Matsu. "That's why I freaked when I saw your wings. I thought I had died and you where an angel." She chuckled lightly. "The thing is. I where jumping from Space in the SOEIV or Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle if you want. It's the one in your front-yard Miya." She looked a Miya then plowed on.

"So there I was falling from space through atmosphere on the biggest adrenaline rush you could ever imagine, that didn't involve sex at least. Towards my next objective. New Mombasa Africa. When the Covenant Carrier decided to make an atmospheric slip-space jump. The portal opened and the EMP burst fried my drop-pod. So there I was freefalling toward Earth like a Main battle tank compared to a bird. Not well. When fate wanted something else. My trajectory carried me straight for the closing slip-space rift. Everything froze and the next thing I knew I where crashing into a city where I was shortly attacked by a sword wielding woman." Chiyo looked at Karasuba, chuckled and smiled.

Chiyo sat up. "At 2552 October 21. Humanity had lost over 60 colonized planets and an estimated twenty-one billion human civilians were killed between 2525 and 2552." She sighted hard. "And now they have found Earth, so the death toll will rise even more." She lay back down on the floor. Chiyo lifted her right arm straight up and looked between her fingers at the ceiling. Drifting away in her own thoughts. Not even noticing the complete and utter silence around her as she did so. Her left hand still in Matsu's right hand.


End file.
